AFC East preview: Dolphins add starting inside linebacker, division rival loses one

The role of the inside linebacker has become a bit devalued in the modern NFL game that prioritizes passing over running, but across the AFC East, teams have impactful players at the position.

The Dolphins signed one of the more productive off-ball linebackers this offseason. The Buffalo Bills lost a key contributor but return one of the best players at the position. The New York Jets have a five-time All-Pro, and the New England Patriots just rewarded an ascending talent with a contract extension.

During an eight-part series leading into the start of training camp, the Miami Herald will rank and preview different positions for each team in the AFC East, from strongest to weakest. Part 7 is linebackers, and last is special teams.

1. Miami Dolphins

▪ Projected depth chart: Jerome Baker, David Long Jr., Duke Riley, Channing Tindall.

▪ Skinny: Aside from the trade for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey, the Dolphins’ signing of Long was their biggest move in free agency. And the two-year deal worth $10 million could be one of the best bargains in the NFL. Long is one of the better all-around inside linebackers in the league, with the shiftiness to slip past blockers and the physicality to take them head-on in the run game. He also has the quickness to hold up in the passing game, whether that be dropping into zones or matching up in man-to-man coverage. He’s a perfect fit for new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme and gives the Dolphins more speed alongside Baker in the middle of the defense.

Depth is a question for this group, though, especially given Long’s injury history. He has missed multiple games per season since entering the league in 2019, including the final five games of last season because of a hamstring injury. Riley, re-signed to a two-year deal, has filled in well as a coverage linebacker. But it remains to be seen whether Tindall, a third-round pick in 2022, is ready to contribute.

2. Buffalo Bills

▪ Projected depth chart: Matt Milano, Terrel Bernard, Dorian Williams, Tyrel Dodson.

▪ Skinny: The Bills lost Tremaine Edmunds in free agency, as he signed a $72 million deal with the Chicago Bears. Edmunds was highly productive in Buffalo, recording at least 100 tackles in each of his first five seasons. The defense will have to fill his void but still has arguably the best off-ball linebacker in the division in Milano. Few middle linebackers in the league are as impactful against the run and pass as Milano. The Bills will have to find a new running mate for Milano, though. Bernard, a third-round pick last year, and Dorian Williams, a third-round pick in this year’s draft, are viewed as the front-runners to earn the starting role.

3. New York Jets

▪ Projected depth chart: C.J. Mosley, Quincy Williams, Jamien Sherwood.

▪ Skinny: At the age of 31, Mosley is still one of the better middle linebackers in the NFL. In 2022, he earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors for the fifth time in his career. Next to Mosley, Williams can be a bit inconsistent, but he is a young player who has gradually improved. Sherwood, a fifth-round pick in 2021, will likely step into Kwon Alexander’s role if the Jets don’t bring the veteran back.

4. New England Patriots

▪ Projected depth chart: Ja’Whaun Bentley, Jahlani Tavai, Mack Wilson Sr.

▪ Skinny: The Patriots don’t have a star among this group but think highly of Bentley, a fifth-round pick in 2018 who recently received a two-year extension with a reported maximum value of $18.75 million and $9 million in guarantees. Bentley, 26, is an ascending player who improved his coverage skills to go along with a career high in sacks (3) and tackles (125). The Patriots don’t have much depth behind Bentley outside of Tavai, who isn’t a standout but a trusted defender who played over half of the defensive snaps last season.